debt free in 1200 months!?

bountiful

Thanks - I sorted that little problem out a while back, but thanks anyway.

Seaxwyn

Hello Bountiful, glad to hear you are still alive and, what's more, sound cheerful.

I hope the psychic reading helps you find out what you want to do with your life. That dilemma sounds familiar - I too feel pulled in different directions.

I knew there would be a catch with that M&S offer. Oh well... hope Oxfam have got some good stock out of it.

bountiful

I have made some decisions - and feel ENERGISED!!!!

First - I have cut up my Post Office credit card that I am snowballing (I was keeping it "just in case") - didn't really think it was important to do that. But I could still use it on the internet or on the phone, couldn't I? I only need to know the number etc hell, that's still a temptation. Got any tips on safeguarding against that one?

Second - I have applied to do the third year top-up to a BSc Combined Social Science and do it full-time. I have the funding application stuff here now.

My Dad died on Monday - sad to say I am not feeling very sad - he had disowned me several times and I've been bereaved for years. However, he did make a provision for me in the Will based on what my Mum would have wanted me to have if she had survived him. However (again) siblings who are better off than me are seriously considering hanging onto the house and renting it out until the market gets better! I am getting 20% of 75% of a three bed detached bungalow in East Sussex - which I think represents enough to pay off all my debts?????!!!!! Even if the house only sold for £150,000 I'd get about £22,000 I think. Is that right? My siblings probably do not realise what a life-changing experience that would be for me - I guess I will have to tell them. I have a feeling that houses in that area are probably a worth quite a bit.

I have simply stacks of course work to do - and working full-time, and my brother and sister-in-law are coming down on holiday 3-10 May..... so I am not going to be browsing the internet much I'm afraid. Miss you!

Psychic reading was very positive - fanatastic relationship/bloke coming into my life very soon, definitely right to give up job and be full-time student, house will be OK for now etc, health good. She didn't metion a death or an inheritance though! Ah well, at least it was encouraging!

My budget for Feb and March was just mad because of moving house - very distorted. April ain't bin much better - and there's no excuse for that. Will try harder!

love xxxx

Seaxwyn

Hey bountiful, good to hear from you and especially that you are so energised.

Brilliant news that some money is coming your way, even if the reasons are a bit sad, I hope your siblings aren't going to cause difficulties though. Will you get 20% of 75% of the rent if they don't sell it?

bountiful

Hi Seaxwyn, it now looks like the house will have to be sold anyway - and my Dad left very detailed accounts and instructions etc - and I may be in line to inherit a bit more than I thought (as long as we can sell the house etc) - first priority will be to pay off all my debts (and my son's) - then get my teeth fixed (haven't been to a dentist for a very long time) - then move to be by the sea - then learn to ride which I have always longed to do - then put a load in a savings account and live off the interest :j - OMG it is such a prospect - I can't believe it's happening . It may take some time, and in the meantime, I am trying to stay on track with my df plans anyway.
For now, things are just the same.

I earned £30 yesterday:j doing the changeover for my friend's holiday chalet (as she was away) - sat sipping my coffee looking out over St Ives bay - sunny day - lovely - it didn't feel like work at all.

Right now have to make tea before it's time for bed - early start tomorrow.
I think that's all I'm going to manage tonight - been working all day and am knackered.

Seaxwyn

Wow! What incredible good fortune, I hope it all happens quickly and smoothly.

bountiful

Very busy - work, study deadlines towards the end of term, father's funeral, brother and sister-in-law down on holiday.

I have my head above the water this month - rent and bills all paid - thanks to son's injection of rent from his student loan last month. Unexpected expenses £81 train fare to Sussex for Dad's funeral - and three days away from home to do it - which means even more pressure on my study deadlines. BT bill £19 (believed we were on Tiscali when they switched our broadband package over - but then got a letter telling us that the phoneline would be switching on 23 April- so all the lovely long phone conversations I had had thinking it was all 'free' - were not free - they were still with BT!)

But - the sun is shining and the flowers are out. I am keeping up my spending diary and keeping on top of my budget. Had a slight payrise at work - £7.40 an hour instead of £7.05 - which is a welcome rise!

I am very aware of the fact that I still have not done my SOA. And I had hoped to snowball my credit card this month - but now realise that I have to keep enough in the bank to pay the bills and cover the unexpected expenses (like the train to Sussex) and the interest on the overdraft etc. Still - working on it - and with help of MSE I feel so much better knowing that I am taking action. (knowing that I have probably got a big enough chunk of cash coming some time in the near future is also a big factor!! - but there's still time right now to get into a mess - because money COMING is not money NOW and NOW is where we're at!

bountiful

Hmmm ..... I have just entered all my expenditures into the spending diary and checked out my past three months spending.... it is all a bit distorted because of moving house and having to buy a couple of household items like cooker and heaters and pay a whacking deposit on the flat. Anyway - here are the results for Feb-April (averaged out between the three months and rounded to nearest pound):

Books: £39 (leisure and academic)
Clothing: £70 (oh dear!)
Council Tax: £32 (low because of payment free months)
Debts: £183 (loan, credit cards)
DVD rental: £4
Electricity: £53
Food: £163
Gas: £83 (Feb/March only - no gas in new place)
Gifts: £20
Health: £11
Household: £171
Interest on overdraft: £38
Laundry: £24
Misc: £155
Mobile: £17
Rent: £664(rent is 625, but agents fees and deposit bumped it up)
Savings: £20
Stationery: £7 (includes postage)
Telephone: £12
Toiletries: £5
Transport:£64
Water: £67 (includes final payment on leaving last property)
TOTAL: £1902

Which is awesome! Much, much more than I thought I was spending - the categories above are from my spending diary - so things like 'books' contain magazines, maps, books, tide tables - everything book-like; 'household' contains cleaning materials, loo paper and the like, as well as furniture, electrical appliances etc; 'stationery' includes postage, envelopes as well as printer paper, sellotape etc; 'misc' is the murky pit which contains all food and drink eaten away from home, sweets, treats and social outings; 'transport' is all the bus and train fares, both local and national, including petrol contributions when I have lifts.

My income is, averaged, £979 + £300 rent from son = £1279
That's a debt crisis which I overcame by borrowing on a credit card to cover the rent..... an untenable situation. I don't know how I have managed so far it's an illusion.

I am now going away to use the budget calculator and redo a budget

bountiful

bountiful wrote: »

I have now done my soa - cut out all the non-essentials to balance the books
Income (comprising salary, son's board & lodging, housing benefit) 1321.72
Outgoings 1202.38
550 Rent (now £644)
NIL Overdraft (now 38)
55.83 Council Tax (now 32)
38 Water (now 67)
40 Gas (now 83)
40 Electricity (now 53)
11 BT (now 12)
10.50 TV (now 0)
20 Mobile phone (now 17)
28.15 Launderette (now 24)
150 Food (now 163)
80 Bus to work (now 64 all transport)
109 Loan repayment (109)
40 Credit Card (40)
20 Savings (20)
5 Haircut (0)
5 DVD rental(now 4)[/quote]

I just copied this down from the beginning of my thread for a comparison (not exact because I hadn't done a spending diary then, and hadn't accounted for all my spending!

beanielou

Wow, you have been as busy bee!